Get Quotes from Top Interior Designers in Chicago, IL

Are You Registered or Certified to Practice as an Interior Designer in Chicago?

Per the Illinois Registered Interior Design Title Act, any individual who wishes to represent or identify themselves as "Registered Interior Designers" or "Registered Residential Interior Designers" in Chicago must be properly registered by the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) before doing so. Failure to do so is a Class A misdemeanor offense for first offenders, while repeat offenders are considered guilty of committing Class 4 felony offenses.

Parties who wish to register as interior designers with the IDFPR are required to pass the National Council for Interior Design Qualification (NCIDQ) examination and meet one of the following education and experience eligibility criteria:

• Must have graduated from either a four or five-year accredited interior design program and have at least two years of full-time interior design experience
• Must have graduated from a three-year accredited interior design program and have at least three years of full-time interior design experience
• Must have graduated from a two-year accredited interior design program and have at least four years of full-time interior design experience
• Must be an Illinois architect with an active license

Eligible parties can apply to the IDFPR by completing and mailing a Registered Interior Designer Application Form to the department at:

Note that applicants are also required to pay an application fee, submit an official NCIDQ certification, and provide additional documentation, such as:

• Official transcripts of their interior design degree
• A VE-IND form to verify their work experience
• Proof of active state-issued architect's license

Alternatively, applications can be submitted to the IDFPR via its Online Services Portal. Note that the creation of a user account is required for this process.

You can contact the IDFPR online or by calling 1-800-560-6420 for inquiries or additional information on its registration requirements for interior designers. You can also verify your intended interior designer's registration status by checking the IDFPR's license lookup platform.

How Much Do You Charge Compared to Other Interior Designers in Chicago?

Several factors generally determine how much interior designers in Chicago will charge you for their services. These include:

• The size of the home or space to be designed
• The nature and scope of services that the interior designer will be providing
• The level of construction involved
• The cost of necessary furnishings, accessories, and other similar items
• Your location within the city

Professional interior designers in the city typically utilize several methods when calculating their charges for services rendered. These include:

• Fixed Rates: in this method, the interior designer and client discuss and agree on a fixed fee for the full suite of interior design services. Note that the payment of an upfront fee is often required.
• Hourly Rates: in this method, the client is billed for the total time the interior designer spends working on their project. The interior designer's hourly rates are typically discussed before the project commences, and a retainer may also be required.
• Percentage Rates: in this method, the interior designer charges the client a percentage of the project's overall cost. This percentage can be anywhere from 5 to 30 percent or more, depending on the scale of the project.
• Cost per Square Meter/Foot Rates: this method is mostly used for commercial projects, and it involves the interior designer charging the client for each square meter or square footage of space that is designed
• Combination Rates: in this method, the interior designer uses a combination of different billing methods when calculating their charges

You should always find out the billing method of your intended interior designer before hiring them. Also, ensure to get and compare quotes for your project from different interior designers in the city before selecting one for the job.

Besides billing rates, confirm that your preferred designer meets other suitability criteria, such as adequate experience, proper registration and insurance, and a good local reputation.

Interior designers in Chicago earn an average annual wage of $65,120. The list below provides the average hourly wages of these professionals compared with the average hourly wages of interior designers across the rest of Illinois as well as several other locations in the United States:

What Kind of Interior Design Services Do You Offer?

Many homeowners often confuse interior decoration with interior design. While both fields overlap, they have certain fundamental differences. Interior decoration involves furnishing a space with decorative elements to attain a particular look or aesthetic, while interior design involves understanding an individual's unique behavior and characteristics to create functional spaces for them within a building.

Therefore, even though interior designers may decorate, interior decorators are not interior designers. When determining the suitability of an interior designer for your remodeling or home renovation project, it is crucial to find out the types of services that they offer. Professional interior designers in Chicago generally provide several services to clients, such as:

• Preparing design specifications and layout drawings
• Space planning
• Selecting, procuring, and arranging furnishings, accessories, and other similar items
• Interior light, sound, and floral design and decoration
• Project monitoring and post-occupancy evaluation

Always confirm that the services your intended interior designer can offer match your preferences and relate to your project. Likewise, ensure you have a written agreement with the interior designer detailing the cost of the services, payment schedules, and other crucial information.

Cost estimates for Chicago interior design services based on various billing methods are provided below:

Residential interior design services cost estimates

Commercial interior design services cost estimates

What is Your Favorite Interior Design Style?

The Modern interior design style is considered one of the most popular styles in the Chicago area. Nonetheless, many homeowners in the city also favor other popular styles, such as:

• Art Deco
• Scandinavian
• Farmhouse
• Bohemian Chic
• Transitional
• Contemporary
• Minimalist
• Traditional

As a homeowner looking to remodel your home, it is often best to have a clear image or preferred aesthetic for the project. However, confirm that your intended interior designer is not only duly registered but has the experience and skill to visualize your preference.

Similarly, if your interior designer is famous for particular design styles, you should confirm that such styles match your preference. One way to do this is by requesting and checking their work portfolio.

If you are unsure of the interior design aesthetic you want, you can work with your interior designer to create a design style that perfectly fits your personality and age. The following interior design styles are particularly popular among various age groups in Chicago:

• Generation X/Baby Boomers – Rustic, Traditional, Contemporary
• Generation Y/Millennials – Contemporary, Minimalist, Modern
• Generation Z – Eclectic, Modern, Rustic

Can You Provide References from People You Have Served in Chicago?

It is vital that you ask your preferred Chicago interior designers for references from previous clients before signing any contracts with them. Always do this, regardless of whether you got referrals to the interior designer from friends and relatives or organizations like the American Society of Interior Designers and the International Interior Design Association.

Asking for and checking references is an effective way to ensure that your designer is not only legitimate but also competent, and you should be suspicious of any interior designer who cannot offer up to three local and verifiable references. This may indicate that the interior designer is problematic to work with and possibly fraudulent.

Other steps that you can take to ascertain your intended interior designer's legitimacy and competence include requesting a portfolio of their completed jobs and looking them up online via platforms like Google Review, the Better Business Bureau, and Yelp.

How Do You Structure Your Interior Design Projects?

You can determine an interior designer's time management skills and get a fair idea of what to expect from their work by looking at how they structure their projects. This is also helpful in planning for events or milestones related to the project, such as moving-in, visits from family, weddings, or anniversaries.

Professional Chicago interior designers usually structure their projects in six main stages:

• Discovery: this is the initial stage, and it involves the interior designer reviewing inspiration drawings and images to get a grasp on the client's unique style and needs and discussing an overall plan for the project.
• Inspiration: this stage involves the interior designer developing a concept statement for each space involved in the project, which will in turn be used to guide the project's overall direction. This is usually done with their design team.
• Design: at this stage, the interior designer presents fully developed design ideas to the client. Note that adjustments, reviews, and revisions are typically made to these styles until a final design is agreed on.
• Procurement: this stage involves purchasing all required furnishings, accessories, and other similar items needed to execute the project satisfactorily.
• Installation: at this stage, the interior designer installs or oversees the installation of all procured items and materials in their appropriate spaces. This stage typically lasts anywhere from one to five days or more, depending on the scope of the project.
• Big Reveal: this is the final stage of the interior design process. At this point, the interior designer unveils the completed project to the client, after which the space may be used for its intended purpose.

What Builders, Architects, or Contractors Do You Work With?

When you hire interior designers in Chicago, it is common for them to either collaborate with or retain the services of professionals like architects, builders, engineers, and other subcontractors like carpenters and painters to ensure the satisfactory execution of your project. As such, ensure to find out the specific types of professionals involved in your project and the cost of retaining their services.

Also, verify the licensing and insurance status of any professional working on your project. Regarding insurance, confirm that these professionals carry valid and adequate insurance policies.

Considering that over 57,780 work-related injuries were reported among interior designers and construction trade workers across the United States in 2020, the importance of verifying the insurance status of every party involved in your project cannot be overstated. Working with uninsured professionals makes you potentially liable for any injuries or property damages resulting from your project.

Always request proof of insurance from your interior designer and all other relevant parties and validate this proof with the appropriate insurance providers before they commence any work. Note that, per state law, all interior designers and other building-related professionals in Chicago must carry workers' compensation insurance for their employees.

Likewise, even though it is not mandatory, ensure your interior designer and their subcontractors also carry adequate general liability insurance to cover bodily injuries and property damage and professional liability insurance to cover defects caused by negligence, mistakes, and oversights.